Precooling system



Feb. 10, 1931. N. H. GAY

PRECOOLING SYSTEM Filed Oct. 11, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet l' fiwendar: JVbrarzan/H: G0:

Feb. 10, 1931.

N H. GAY 1,792,368

PRECOOLING SYSTEM Filed Oct.- 11, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 10, 1931. N, Y 1,792,368

PRECOOLING SYSTEM Filed Oct. 11, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 41 and a top member 42, to support the pulleys booms 45 by means of rollers incorporated in their structure in the, usual way, and are connected in the usual way. The two hangers 47 for each boom which are nearest the mast are shown in Fig. 1 as connected directly and rigidly to the respective conduit 35, while the outermost hanger is provided with a swivel connection 48 to an inverted U-shaped member 49 which has its legs or free ends secured to the fittings 39.

Windlasses 50 are provided on the machine to wind up, unwind, or retain in any desired position the respective cable 51 which passes over the respective pulley 43 and is connected to the respective boom 45.

The carriage body 30 has'the downwardly extending support members (Fig. 4) which have suitable bearings for the axles 61, 62. The axles 61 have'wheels 63 resting upon the traclrs 20 for the support of the carriage for moving from one part to another while the center of gravity remains between the wheels 63. The axles 62 carry the wheels 64 which are received within channels 22, and become engaged with the underface of the upperwalls thereof when the center of gravity of the carriage and booms, etc., is shifted to a point outside of either wheel 63. This structure prevents the upsetting of the carriage although the center of gravity may be shifted to a point outside of the rails 20.

In operation, the refrigerator'cars are filled 1n the usual way, preferably having received a previous icing. If the cars, are filled with resh fruit, it is necessary to not only withdraw the normal heat contained 1n the cargo, but also to limit the ripening and therewith to diminish the heat produced by the ripening. For this purpose, the present precooling is employed. The tracks 20 may be located parallel to the warehouse W from which the loading has been done (Fig. 3), or in any other desired location. In any event, the cars are brought to a standstill op posite the trabks 20, and the attendants then move a carriage until its body 30 is opposite the center doors of the particular cars to be served. The booms 45 are swung out,-and the windlasses 50 backed off until the outer ends of the booms and therewith their fittings 39 are enga ed over the open a ertures 16, thereby esta%lishing a closed end ess conduit through the car body, one aperture 16, one conduit 35 and its fittings, the-carriage body might thus be for example,

30, the other conduit and its fittings, and other aperture 16. Regardless of the temperature of the air in the car and the conduits at the beginning, this air is rapidly cooled by the ice contained in the end compartments of the car, and by reason of the forced circulation, the cargo is rapidly brought to a very low temperature, thus retarding ripening and reducing the ripening heat which produced prior to the chilling of the car. The fan 31 is then set in motion to accomplish this circulation, and is caused iii to continue for a time which may be judged by experience, but is readily ascertained by testing the temperature of the circulating air from time to time.

At the end of the precooling, the Windlasses are again wound to raise the ends ofv the booms 45, and the hatchways 17- closed down. The refrigerating cars are then moved to the re-icing depots, and in practice it is found that a single re-icing at this stage is usually sufficient for a train journey of many days, since the fruit has been prevented from development of ripening heat.

It will be understood that a similar pro cedure is employed with each refrigerator car, and that these cars may or may not be coupled in train as they stand alongside the carriage tracks 20. One of these carriages is provided for each car, and the telescoping joints 35 permit the movement of the conduits toward or from each other according to the distance between the apertures 16 of the particular car; the conduits 35 moving easily by reason of their hanger supports from the respective boom 45. Further, owing to the very light construction, it is possible to quickly set and adjust the parts, since a single man can readily raise the outer end of the boom 45 and swing the fittings 30 into place or remove it to one side so that the refrigerating car can be immediately coupled in train and Withdrawn from the track. This operation is especially facilitated by the location of the tracks 20 of the walkways 21 and substantially the lever of the car deck or root, so that this single attendant can move the carriage to the proper position, and operate the windlasses to lower the booms while on the walkways 21. It is then a simple matterto step to the car deck and manipulate portions of the rails 20, as for example, by mounting them on a rail 71 for one of the walks 21,

when the rails 20 are located adjacent a single line of track 10.

It will be understood'that the invention-is not limited to the specific form illustrated,

Gil

but that it may be varied in many ways within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a precooling system for refrigerated vehicles, a track, a carriage movable along said track and supporting a conduit and a fan in said conduit, means whereby mix-i elated vehicles may be positioned adjacent said track, said conduit being divided into sections connected for relative movement, and said carriage including a supporting means for the sections of the conduit to permit such relative movement.

2. In a precooling system for refrigerated cars, a railroad track upon which said cars mav be located, an elevated track extending parallel to said railroad track and elevated tliereabove and at the substantial height of the car roof, a carriage movable along said latter track, said carriage comprising .a conduit comprising relatively movable sections, a mast on said carriage and meansheld by the mast to support outer sections of conduit, a an carriedby said carriage and located in said conduit, and connections at the ends of said conduit adapted to iit around and seal from the atmosphere the 'hatchw-ays of the refrigerated car.

-3. A system as in claim 2, in which the relatively movable sections of said conduit are connected by 'flexible telescoping bellows, and said end connections comprise rigid members tofit over the hatchways and flexible voted at a level substantially that of the car roof, a carriage movable on said second track and comprising a rigid conduit section, relatively movable conduit sections having flexible telescoping connections with said fixed conduit section, a mast on said carriage, booms pivoted-to said carriage for movement in horizontal and vertical planes, and means connected to said mast and booms for moving said booms in the vertical plane, substantially rigid end members adapted to fit over the car hatchways, and flexible telescop' members connecting said end members to the relatively movable sections of said conduit.

7. A system as in claim 6, in which the second tracksare mounted on channel members and said carriage has wheels located in the channels of said channel members and adapted to engage the upper walls thereof to prevent capsiziug of the carriage when the booms are swung in a horizontal plane.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

NORMAN H. GAY.

telescoping bellows connecting said rigid members and the ends of the conduit sections proper.

4. In alsystem for precooling refrigerated cars, a railroad track to receive the cars, a. track parallel to said railroad track and elevated at substantially the level of the car roofs, a carriage movable on said latter track, a, mast mounted on said carriage and having a pulley thereon, a swinging boom.

adapted for movement in horizontal and vertical planes and pivoted to said carriage, a Windlass on said carriage operable by an attendant at the level of the car roof, a cable operated by said windless'and passing over said pulley and connected to said boom to move the same in a vertical plane, a conduit comprising relatively movable sections supported by said carriage and boom, and including a flexible telescoping joint permitting the variation of the distance of the end of said conduit from and its position with respect to the said carriage.

5. A system as in clalm 4; in which the boom comprises a rail, a hanger adapted to travel on said rail and a connection between said hanger and a section of said conduit movable relatively to said carriage.

6. A system for precooling refrigerated cars comprising a railroad track on which the cars may be located, a second track ele- 

